Greer's OC: Some good breakfast on the go

Greer Wylder

Need reasons to wake up early?

Zimzala, a laid-back bar and eatery at the Shorebreak Hotel in Huntington Beach, just debuted a grab-and-go breakfast/coffee shop called Zim a Go Go. It is open from 6 to 11 a.m. and offers items like breakfast burritos, chicken n' waffle panini with tomato jam, wasabi arugula, gruyere, prosciutto, béchamel, sweet potato tots and sloppy joes with house pickles, buttermilk roll and Parmesan garlic fries.

Zim a Go Go is perfect for when you're craving a quick breakfast and hot drink, but you don't have time to commit to a sit-down meal. Zimzala restaurant is on the second level of The Strand in downtown Huntington Beach, at the Shorebreak Hotel, 500 Pacific Coast Hwy.

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Mozambique opens sister location

Fans of Mozambique in Laguna Beach can now dine at its newly opened sister restaurant at The Bluffs in Newport Beach.

Mozambique Peri-Peri is a new concept serving many of the same dishes as its original restaurant, but in smaller portions and in a casual dining atmosphere.

It's named after piri piri, a red pepper used in many African and Portuguese dishes.

The menu includes starters such as vegetarian or beef samosas served with cilantro aioli, grilled prawns and chicken pops (marinated chicken served with Asian slaw and Peri-Peri sauce).

Or choose from delicious curry bowls, wraps or grilled items including a steak sandwich with grilled onions, lettuce, tomato and spicy aioli; boerewors sausage on a Portuguese roll; chicken Peri-Peri; or an 8-ounce Mozambique burger.

There are salads, large platters for sharing, or a family-style menu. Mozambique Peri-Peri also serves hard-to-find domestic and Eastern African beer, and South African wines.

Open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mozambique Peri-Peri is in The Bluffs shopping center at MacArthur Boulevard and Bison Avenue.

And that's not all — on the food front, the standard concessions of popcorn, candy and sodas are available, but they take a back seat for tasty sandwiches, specialty pizzas, quiches, vegetarian spring rolls, pastries and more. Or order a specialty coffee, beer, champagne or glass of wine.

Just like at plays, concerts and sporting events, you can reserve seats when you purchase tickets from a map online or at the box office. Tickets cost $16.50.

We're hoping that none of you will ever need this, but we are so fortunate that Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach is opening one of the world's most advanced cardiac operating suites.

Thanks to a $2-million donation by Bob and Marjie Bennett of Newport Beach, Hoag Hospital this week unveiled a hybrid cardiovascular operating room (CVOR) that includes a custom robot — designed by BMW and featuring an imaging system with 3D and 4D reconstructive software — that is used to see blood vessels, tissue and organs during cardiac surgery, angioplasty and endovascular procedures.

"It allows us to open the body in a way that's kinder and gentler to patients; it's a minimally invasive procedure, and we can open up an artery to prevent a heart attack," said Dr. Subbarao Myla, who leads the endovascular therapy and cardiovascular research at the Hoag Heart and Vascular Institute.

At the unveiling earlier this week, Dr. Aidan Raney, head of the cardiovascular surgery at the institute, said that the CVOR "opens up a whole new frontier for people who have cardiovascular disease." Their plan is to do the first Transcatheter Aortic Heart Valve procedure in February.

"This treatment will help people who are too sick to tolerate open heart surgery," Raney said.

Bob Bennett is a nationally-renowned broadcaster and philanthropist who founded Metromedia, which is now Fox Television. The Bob and Marjie Bennett Hybrid Surgical Suite at Hoag Hospital promises to be one of the country's best cardiac care facilities.

Irving Berlin's "White Christmas" has come to the stage at Segerstrom Center for the Arts through Jan. 1. The show promises to be a joy-filled experience for the whole family.

"White Christmas" is a tale of two showbiz friends putting on a Christmas show in a Vermont inn, who find romance with two sisters in the process. The musical is nonstop dance, romance and merriment, not to mention classic songs including "Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep," "Sisters," "Blue Skies," and the unforgettable title song, Berlin's "White Christmas."

Segerstrom Center for the Arts is offering a 25% military discount with prices as low as $15. For tickets and an entire schedule of performance dates and times, go to SCFTA.org.

Tickets also are available at the center's box office, 600 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa, or by calling (714) 556-2787.

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Technology in optics

Eyesite Optometry in Newport Coast is owned by a father-and-son doctor team, Sy and David Rosenblum, who use state-of-the-art technologies in optics, dry eye treatment and contact lenses.

Who wouldn't love a holiday gift card from the popular and award-winning Yard House restaurant specializing in American fusion foods and an incredible selection of beers on tap?

Now, it's giving back to the person who buys the easy holiday gift. Through Dec. 31, purchase a gift card totaling $50 or more and receive a $10 bonus card to use on a future visit, beginning Jan. 1.

The restrictions for the $10 bonus cards include dine-in-only food and nonalcoholic beverage purchases at any Yard House or at Yard House Bar & Grill.

Yard House gift cards can be purchased at any Yard House. In Orange County there are locations in Brea, Costa Mesa, Irvine and Newport Beach. Visit http://www.yardhouse.com or call (800) 336-5336.

GREER WYLDER writes Greer's OC for the Huntington Beach Independent each Thursday and the Daily Pilot and Coastline Pilot each Friday. She's the founder and president of greersoc.com, a free daily email service that provides the latest in Orange County fashion, dining, music, events and trends. Her blog can be viewed http://www.greersoc.com and she can be contacted at greer@greersoc.com.